The air in your field was calm, the scent of fresh blooms weaving through the wind as you crouched near a patch of white lilies. The petals swayed gently, but your mind was elsewhere. Sasuke agreed to help me. The thought alone was enough to stir an unfamiliar excitement in your chest. The Chunin Exams were no longer a distant possibility—they were within reach.

As you brushed your fingers over a flower's soft petals, a faint shift in the air made you glance up.

Sand.

You immediately recognized the way it slithered forward, barely disturbing the grass, stopping just at the edge of your field. Your eyes followed its path until they landed on a familiar figure standing just beyond the trees.

He was just as you remembered—pale, unreadable, his seafoam-green eyes watching you in a way that felt both detached and searching at the same time. His arms remained folded over his chest, his massive gourd ever-present on his back, sand drifting lazily around his feet.

You straightened, dusting off your hands. "You again."

Gaara didn't move. His expression was as stoic as ever. "You are still here."

"Of course I am," you said softly. "This is my home."

A pause. His gaze flickered briefly across the field, taking in the gentle swaying of the flowers. His sand remained still.

A small smile found its way to your lips as you turned back to your flowers. "Do you want to sit?"

Gaara hesitated, as if the idea had never occurred to him before. His eyes flickered toward the ground beside you, then back to your face.

"You... don't mind?"

"Why would I?" you asked, tilting your head. "You don't seem like someone who'd step on flowers."

For a moment, he didn't move. Then, with slow, deliberate steps, he lowered himself onto the grass beside you.

Silence settled between you, but it wasn't uncomfortable. Gaara sat rigidly at first, his arms resting over his knees, his gaze distant. You could tell he wasn't used to this—just sitting.

"You're here for the Chunin Exams, right?" you asked gently, plucking a stray leaf from one of the flower petals.

Gaara nodded. "Yes."

You hummed in thought. "It must be exciting. All those different fighters in one place... it must be nice to meet so many new people."

Gaara's gaze flickered toward you, something unreadable in his expression. "Nice?"

You glanced at him. "Yeah. Getting to know others, learning about them... doesn't that sound interesting?"

Gaara was silent for a long time, as if he wasn't sure how to respond. Then, finally, he spoke.

"I didn't come to meet people."

You turned your head slightly. "Then why did you come?"

He looked away, his fingers curling slightly into the fabric of his sleeve. "That doesn't concern you."

The weight in his voice made your chest tighten, but you didn't press him for details. Instead, you let the silence stretch between you again, giving him the space he seemed to need.

After a moment, you reached out and gently touched one of the flowers near him, your fingertips brushing the petals.

Gaara turned his head slightly, his eyes scanning the field once more. The gentle movement of the flowers in the wind, swaying together, seemed to capture his attention.

His shoulders relaxed just the slightest bit.

"...You care for them a lot," he murmured.

You nodded. "I do."

His gaze lingered on you for a moment longer. Then, just for a second—so quick you barely caught it—a faint warmth dusted his pale cheeks.

You blinked, unsure if you had imagined it.

Before you could say anything, Gaara shifted, looking away. "I should go."

You hesitated, then smiled softly. "Alright. But... you can come back if you want."

Gaara didn't respond immediately, but as he stood, his gaze flickered to you once more.

Then, without another word, he turned and disappeared into the trees, the sand trailing silently behind him.

You watched him go, your fingers lightly tracing the petals of the flowers at your side.

For someone who claimed he didn't come to meet people, he certainly didn't seem in a rush to leave.

(735 𝘞𝘖𝘙𝘋𝘚)